Folding chair



Aug. 14, 1934. N. ALLERDING FOLDING CHAIR Filed Feb. 3, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l 6 Aug 14 1934. I Q ALLERDmG 1,970,26

FOLDING CHAIR Filed Feb 3, 1933 ssh eets-sheet 2 1934- c. N. ALLERDING 1,970,266

FOLD ING CHAIR Filed Feb. 3, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,970,266 FOLDING 01mm Cletus N. Allerding, Metropolis, 111.

Application February 3, 1933, Serial No. 655,070

5 Claims. (01. 155-141) This invention relates to folding chairs, and has for its general object to produce a chair of this, character which, while capable of occupying a small space when the parts thereof 'are in folded position, will afford a comfortable support for the-occupant when the parts are in the unfolded or seating position. A further object of the invention is to provide a chair of the, character described wherein, while the seat is pivoted to the rear section and the front legs are pivoted to the seat, the chair, when. in its folded position, will occupy a small space.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding chair of the character referred folding operations.

Further and more limited objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be realized in and through the combinations of elements embodied in the claims appended hereto and forming part hereof.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a chair constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the chair in its open, or unfolded, operative position; Fig. 2 a similar view, showing the chair in .its folded position; FigTS a-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 'l-and looking in the'direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 a detail in sectional elevation showing the\manner of connecting one of the front legs with the front of the seat frame; Fig. 5 a sectional plan view through one side of the front of the seat frame, illustrating details of the means for locking and unlocking a front leg; Fig. 6 a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of chair embodying my invention; and Fig. 7 a sectional view taken on the line '7-'-7 of Fig. 6 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Describing the-parts byreference characters, and first in connection with Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, 1 represents the rear legs, which are preferably formed integrally with the side posts 2' which form part of the back of the chair. The side posts may be connected by top and bottom curved back-rests, indicated at 3 and 4, respectively, the construction of the chair back affording a comfortable support for the back 'tinuous frame.

of the occupant of the chair. The rear legs and the posts and transverse back rests constitute the rear section of the chair, the front section comprising the folding seat and the front legs. 5 denotes the seat frame, which is preferably made of wood bent to shape to produce a con- Within this frame there is mounted a seat comprising a base 6 and a cushion 7 having a covering 8 thereon of any suitable material.

The rear portion of the seat frame 5 is pivotally connected to the lower ends of the back posts 2 of the rear section by means of hinges,

each hinge consisting of a strap 9, pr eferably of sheet metal, each strap having a rearwardly and upwardly extending portion 9 which is pivotally connected to the lower end of the cooperating post 2, as by means .of a wood screw 10.

Each hinge has also a forwardly extending portion 9 which is shown as curvedto conform to the contour of the part of the seat frame to which it is secured,'as by rivets 11.

12 denotes the front legs, each ofwhich is pivotally connected intermediate of its ends to a rear leg by means of a brace 13, preferably of metal, the ends of each brace being pivotally connected to the front and rear legs as by means of screws or rivets 14.

Secured to the inner face of the upper end of eachfront leg 12, as by screws 15, is a locking member, which member is preferably made of sheet metal, of L-shaped form, the lower leg of the said member being shown at 16 and the upper leg at 16, the upper leg extending rearwardly and being pivotally connected to an inner side of the front portion of the seat frame, as by means of a wood screw17. Interposed between the upper portion of each locking member ,16, 16 and the front portion of the seat frame to which it is attached is a plate 18, preferably of metal, through which the screw 17 extends and f cess with which it cooperates and being secured to the frame, as by means of a wood screw 20. Each plate is provided with a longitudinal slot 21, the front end of each'slot registering approx imately with the front end of the corresponding recess 19, the slots 21 forming guides for the opposite ends of the other locking member, consisting of a rod 22, the extreme ends of the said rod projecting into the recesses 19 and each such extreme end having secured thereto one end of a coiled spring 23, the opposite end of which spring is shown as secured to a hook 24, whichhooks may be struck from the plates 18. These springs normally hold the rod 22 in the locking positions shown in full lines in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

The front and upper end of each locking member 16 is provided with a rearwardly extending locking notch 16 the front end portion of the upper wall of each notch 16 intersecting the upper wall of the slot 21 in the adjacent plate 18 when the chair is inits open position, as shown ore particularly in Fig. 4. It will be noted that t e upper wall of each notch 16 is of sufficient length to form a lock for the cooperating end of the rod 22 and that the slot 21 is of such length as to enable the rod 22 to be moved forwardly to the dotted-line positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4, thereby to disengage the ends of the rod from the upper walls of the notches 16*. It will be obvious that, when the rod shall have been moved to this forward position (which can bedone conveniently by grasping the rod with the fingers of the hand while thepalm is in engagement with the front of the seat frame), the chair bottom, together with the front legs, may be swung about the rear pivots '10; and during this swinging movement the braces 13 will maintain the legs 12 in a predetermined relation to the parts 1 and 2 until the parts are in their fully folded position, as, shown in Fig. 2.

It will be noted that, above the notch 16*, the

front of the upper leg 16 of each locking member 16 is beveled upwardly and rearwardly, as shown at 16. It will be noted further that the bottom wall 21 of each slot 21 is upwardly and rearwardly inclined and that it is preferably above the bottom 16 of the corresponding notch 16 to prevent interference with the rearward or looking movement of the rod 22.

notch 16 is downwardly and rearwardly inclined from its junction with the beveled edge 16, the

front end of this inclined wall 16 being in substantial register with the upper wall of the cooperating slot 21 when the chair is in its open position.

As the chair seat is swung downwardly about its pivots 30 and approaches its fully open position, the rod 22 is first moved forwardly by its engagement with the inclined surfaces 16 above the notches 16'. Then, when these notches register with the rear ends of the slots 21, the springs 23 force the rod 22 rearwardly, and the ends of the rod are engaged between the reversely inclined surfaces 16 of the notches 16 and the bottom walls 21 of the slots 21, with the result that an upward thrust is exerted by the ends of the rods upon the connecting member 16 and the upper ends of the legs 12 are firmly seated in locked position against the bottom of the seat frame 5.

The front and rear legs may be connected by cross braces 25 and 26, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a modified form of chair wherein the rear 'posts 2 are somewhat different in form from those shown in the preceding views and are connected by wide back-supporting braces'27. In addition to this difference, the chair seat frame 5 is U-shaped, the rear It will be' noted further that the upper wall 16 of each ends of the frame being pivotally connected to the posts 2 by angular hinge straps 28, the forwardly extending ends of said straps being riveted to the rear ends of the seat frame, as shown at 29, and the upper ends of the hinge straps being pivotally connected to the rear posts 2, as shown at 30.

The remaining parts of the chair and the connections whereby it may be folded and may be locked in its unfolded or open positions are preferably identical in construction with the corresponding parts described in connection with Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and are indicated by the numerals employed with the parts in such preceding views.

Having thus described my invention, what claim is: I

1. In a folding chair, a back, a seat frame pivoted thereto and including side and front frame members, front legs in the plane of said side frame members and abutting thereagainst when the chair is in open position, plates rigidly secured to said front leg members, and pivoted to said side frame members, locking notches in said plates, and a' cross rod slidably supported by said side frame members and extending therebetween in spaced parallel relation to said front frame member a short distance behind said front frame member, the ends thereof being received in said locking notches and bearing against the .upper edge thereof when the chair is in open position.-

2. In a folding chair, a back, a seat frame pivoted thereto'and including side and front members, inwardly opening recesses in said side frame members spaced back of said front frame member, a cover plate over each of said recesses and provided with a slot, a cross rod having its ends extending through said slot and slidable forwardly and rearwardly therein, spring means within said recesses and urging said cross bar rearwardly, front legs in the plane of said side frame members and abutting thereagainst when the chair is in open position, plates rigidly secured to said front legs and pivoted to said side frame members back of said cross rod, said plates being provided with notches the upper edges of which engage the ends of said cross rod when the chair is in open position.

3. In a folding chair, a combined back and rear leg frame, a seat frame pivoted thereto and including side and front frame members, inwardly opening recesses in said side frame members adjacent said front frame member, front legs in the plane of the side frame members and abutting thereagainst when the chair is in open position, plates rigidly secured to said front legs and pivoted to. said side frame members, locking notches in said plates, the upper edges of said locking notches being inclined downwardly toward the rear, 9. shiftable cross rod'having its ends positionedin said recesses, and spring means forcing said cross rod into engagement with the inclined edges of said notches when the chair is in open position, thereby to force the top surface of the said front legs into engagement with the under surface of the said side frame members.

4. In a folding chair, a combined back and rear leg frame, a seat frame pivoted thereto and including side and front frame members, inwardly opening recesses in said side frame members adjacent said front frame member, front legs in the plane of the side frame members and abutting thereagainst when the chair is in open position,

plates rigidly secured to said front legs and pivoted to said side frame members, locking notches in said plates, 2, cover plate over each of said recesses, a slot in each of said cover plates the lower edges of said slots being inclined upwardly toward the rear, a shiftable cross rod having its ends extending thru said slots into said recesses and spring means, in said recesses, forcing said cross rod into engagement with the lower inclined edges of said slots and the upper edges of said notches when the chair is in open position, thereby to force the top surface of said front legs into engagement with the under surface of the said side frames.

5. In a folding chair, a combined back and rear leg frame, a seat frame pivoted thereto and including side and front frame members, inwardly opening recesses in said side frame members adjacent said front frame member, front legs in the plane of the side frame members and abutting thereagainst when the chair is in open position, plates rigidly secured to said front legs and pivoted to said side frame members, locking notches in said plates, the upper edges of said locking notches being inclined downwardly toward the rear, a cover plate over each of said recesses, a slot-in each of said cover plates the lower edges of said slots being inclined upwardly toward the rear, a shiftable cross rod having its ends extending thru said slots into said recesses and spring means, in said recesses, forcing said cross rod into engagement with the lower inclined edges of said v slots and the upper inclined edges of said notches when the chair is in open position, thereby to force the top surface of said front legs into engagement with the under surface of the said side frames.

CLETUS N. ALLERDING. 

